Czech republic

WHAT IS THE FLEX PROGRAM?
 
In 1992, then-U.S. Senator 
Bill Bradley cosponsored, together with U.S. Congressman Jim Leach, the historic legislation 
providing for the FLEX program. Funding was approved by the United States Congress to 
extend a hand of friendship from the people of the United States of America to the people of 
the countries of the former Soviet Union, and has since expanded to other countries. FLEX is 
fully funded by the United States government and administered by the Bureau of Educational 
and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State. The program provides competitively 
selected secondary school students with a scholarship to spend a year living in the U.S. with a 
volunteer host family, attending a U.S. high school to foster understanding between the people 
of the United States and the people of other countries around the world.
The FLEX program is supported at the local level by thousands of U.S. citizens and local 
secondary schools that host, educate, and support students with no financial compensation. 
Now in its 29th year, the FLEX academic year program has provided scholarships to over 
29,000 secondary school students. In most years, between 900 and 1,000 students study in the 
U.S. on the FLEX program.
WHO ORGANIZES THE PROGRAM?
 
American Councils for 
International Education organizes recruitment, selection, orientation, and travel arrangements 
for the FLEX program. Founded in 1974, American Councils is an international non-profit 
organization working to improve mutual understanding between countries, exchange ideas 
among individuals, and enhance collaboration through education. For over 40 years, 
American Councils has been designing, implementing, and supporting innovative programs 
in the United States, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa for tens of thousands 
of participants. These include several U.S. government programs for secondary school 
students (besides FLEX), university and graduate students, teachers, and professors.
Many other private, non-profit organizations in the United States also support the FLEX 
program. The U.S. government has asked these organizations to place FLEX participants in 
supportive U.S. host families and to organize local activities during the year-long program.